


you and i will always be

by cjmasim



Series: Wolfstar Bingo 2020 [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Christmas, Christmas Angst, HP Wireless Festive Minifest 2020, M/M, Wolfstar Bingo 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:28:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28025505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjmasim/pseuds/cjmasim
Summary: Arguing with Sirius dampens Remus' Christmas spirit.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Wolfstar Bingo 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041625
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23
Collections: Wireless Festive Minifest 2020, Wolfstar Bingo 2020





	you and i will always be

**Author's Note:**

> Written for both the Wolfstar Bingo 2020 and the HP Wireless Festive Mini Fest. For the Wolfstar Bingo, this fills the square for "Christmas decorations". As for Wireless, it's based on the song [The Bad List by Z Berg and Ryan Ross](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baFtq5RudKk). 
> 
> Enjoy!

Remus sighs and replaces his bookmark, closing his book as he gives up on reading so much as a single paragraph. The string lights flicker almost tauntingly, relishing in their ability to exert such power over him. By a normal lamp or even candlelight, Remus doesn’t doubt that he would have been able to lose himself in the pages, but the bright colors are distracting. 

It doesn’t help that his mind refuses to shut up, continuing to play and replay and dissect every second of the argument. Sirius is just over in the other room, too; it’s not as much distance as Remus would like. Unfortunately, it’s Christmas Eve. There’s hardly anything open, and Remus wouldn’t dare ask him to crash at James’ what with it being Harry’s first Christmas. 

He’s not sure he can bring himself to go to bed, either. Sirius had taken the upper hand by retreating first; Remus wonders if he’ll need to sleep on the couch. 

Well, he can be stubborn if he needs to be. The couch is comfortable enough, and besides, Remus is under no illusion that he’ll be in the way of some jolly old figure appearing through the fireplace. They aren’t connected to the Floo network anymore, not with the war waging on. It’ll be just Remus in the living room tonight. 

Sirius, of course, has other plans. 

“If you sleep out there, Santa won’t be able to come,” he jokes, an offering of peace, even as there’s no trace of laughter in his voice. 

Remus is quiet. 

Sirius presses on, wringing his hands together and glancing away as he speaks. “I’m sorry,” he says, and Remus can tell he’s struggling to admit it. “What I said – that was uncalled for.”

The memory flashes through Remus’ mind, not for the first time that night. _”I thought you were always the smart one?”_ Sirius had said, voice rising as the anger flooded through him. _“Things aren’t like they used to be. They never will be again. We’re at war, Remus._

 _I know that,_ Remus had yelled back. _I’ve been at war my whole life, Sirius, and it’s never stopped me before. Why should this year be any different?_

“It was,” Remus says now, shaking the memory out of his mind to focus on the present. “I’m sorry, too. Just because celebrating has always been hard for me doesn’t make it any less hard for you now. It’s just – it’s not productive to compare our pain when we should be working as a team.”

Sirius moves closer, taking the chance to sit next to Remus, close enough to touch but still leaving some space. Remus is sure he can tell that he’d rehearsed that line while pretending to read. 

“We’ll get through this together,” Sirius says. “You had a point, you know. Maybe if we give it our all and pretend everything is fine outside, it’ll feel better inside. I mean, it’s worth a try.”

Remus nods, pulling him closer. “Then let’s try.”


End file.
